Regulating device



April 20, 1948. 1. E. WIEGERS REGULATING DEVICE Filed March 3, 1945 Patented Apr. 20, 1948 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REGULATING DEVICE Irvin E. Wiegers, Overland, M0. Application March 3, 1945, Serial No. 580,905

7 Claims. (01. 200-140) 4 This invention relates to new and useful improvements in regulating devices for temperature, pressure and other controllable quantities. Its object is to provide a control which will be responsive to a change in the direction of the temperature or pressure movements; that is, it responds when a falling temperature begins to rise or a rising temperature begins to fall, and further to provide a control which will tend to restore the desired temperature or pressure regardless of a change in direction when the temperature or pressure lies outside of certain limits.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as defined by the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawing illustrates simple and practical mechanical methods of obtaining embodiments of my invention. It will be apparent to skilled persons that hydraulic, pneumatic and electrical methods could be employed.

The accompanying drawing illustrates methods for constructing the invention. Figure l is a view in vertical section showing a complete temperature control device. Figure 2' is a similar fragmentary view showing a variation of the invention. Figure 3 is a fragmentary view showing a modified form of mounting for the actuator.

The embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 is intended for use in controllin temperature, though it may also be used with simple modifications to control pressure, such as hydraulic or pneumatic pressure. Referring to the drawing, 1 designates a base or support upon which the apparatus is mounted. Supported in a suitable bracket 3 on the base I and secured thereto by means of a nut 2 is a mechanism 5 arranged to cause movement in response to variations in the quantity to be controlled. In the illustrated embodiment the device 5 takes the form of a bellows expansible vertically under internal pressure. This may be charged with a volatile liquid or expansible gas adapted to cause the bellows to expand and contract with changes in temperature in a wellknown manner. A movable member in the form of a bar 6 is mounted in suitable guides 1 and 20 on the base I and abuts at its upper end against the end of the bellows 5. The lower end of the bar 6 is resiliently supported by any suitable form of return mechanism. In the drawing a spring 23 rests on a. plate 24 which in turn is adjustably supported on a screw 26 engaging a threaded bracket Zion the base I. The spring 23 carries a plate 22 engaging the lower end 01 the bar 8. By this arrangement the bar is resiliently forced upward against the bellows 5. Accordingly changes in the quantity to be regulated, in this case temperature or pressure, will cause the bellows 5 to move the bar 8. This movement will be downwardly against the force of the spring 23 upon increase of such temperature or pressure and the spring will move the bar in the opposite direction upon decrease of these quantities. Thus the bar 8 provides a member which is movable in response to variations in the quantity to be controlled.

An actuating element in the form of a slide bar I5 is arranged transversely of the bar 8 and is provided with a perforation 30 traversing its middle portion. The bar 6 is arranged to pass through the perforation 30 with sufficient clearance to permit the bar 6 to slide freely through the actuator l5. One end of the element [5 is engaged by a tension spring 2| anchored to a suitable bracket 40 on the base I. This spring is adapted to tilt or cock the element l5 relatively to the bar 5 so as to cause the sides of the perforation 30 to grip said bar. This provides a clutching device whereby the element l5 may be releaseably clutched to the bar 16 to be carried by the bar in its movement in response to the temperature or pressure variations. A control device 28 of any suitable type-is mounted by means of screws 9 on the base i. In the embodiment illustrated the device 28 is in the form of a microswitch provided with terminal binding screws l0, controlling an electrical heating element 44 supplied by power lines 43. The heating element 44 causes temperature variations affecting the bellows 5. The device 28 could also be a steam or refrigerant valve or a device of any type controlling any phenomenon. The device 28 has an actuating button 14 positioned in the path of movement or the element l5 when the latter is carried upwardly by the bar 8 so that said bar may actuate the button H at a suitable point in its travel.

The control device 28 is positioned so that the button I 4 engages the element 15 on the opposite side of the bar 6 from the point where the spring 2! is connected. Accordingly as the element 15 moves upwardly the end engaging the button I4 will eventually be arrested thereby so that further travel of the bar 5 will cause the element 15 to tip with respect thereto, counterchange in the relative alignment of the perforation loandthebarisoastoreleasethearlpping action and permit the bar I to slide relatively to the element iI. After such engagement between the element II and the button I! has taken place the bar I may continue to slide uhwardly through the perforation II until the eiiect of the action oi the control means 2! causes thehellowstoceasecontractingandtobegin to expand. Such expanslonwillreversethemovement or the bar I causing it to move downwardly in Figure 1. This movement permits the left hand and oi! the element ii, as shown in Figure 1, to be moved downwardly by the spring 2| so as to again cock the element with respect to the bar I, thereby causing reengagement oi the grip provided by the perforation II. It will be seen therefore that this ement willtake place immediately upon reversal of movement or the bar 6.

Means are provided to produce a similar action during the descending movement oi the bar I. An adjustable stop provided by a screw II engaging a threaded bracket H on the base i is arranged to engage the left hand end of the element I5 in Figure 1 as the latter is carried downwardly by the bar I. Here again as the element 15 moves downwardly alter the stop it, it is tipped about said step as a P thereby counteracting the action oi the spring 2! and causing the bar I to slide through the perioration in the manner already described. During the downward movement also the sliding oi. the bar 6 through the element iI causes the latter to be positioned ina new'relation to the former and immediately upon reversal of movement of the bar I the clutching action at the perforation ll again comes into play and the element [5 is immediately carried up with the bar 6. The force of the spring 2| should be a minimun;8 just great enough to operate control device It will be seen that the action just described is such as to permit movement or the bar I in both directions beyond the limits of movement oi the actuator II and that the actuator is reset in a new position on the bar I after reversal oi the movement.

When the temperature at the bellows I reaches a certain fixed value determined by the position of the sto I! on the bar I and the setting of the adjustment screw 2I, the stop II will engage the actuator l5 and force it against the rests II and I6. If the temperature continues to rise there will be no further movement of the rod I or the actuator 15. Consequently when a temperature reversal occurs at some value above this temperature, the switch II is not actuated and no heat will be supplied until the temperature falls to approximately the point at which the stop I? engaged the actuator II. Thus the device tends to restore the desired temperature regardless of a reversal in trend when the temperature lies above the desired value. In a similar manner when the temperature at the bellows I falls below a certain value, the stop II will force the actuator against the rest II and the button ll and hold it there regardless of a reversal in the temperature trend until the temperature rises to approximately the point at which the stop is engaged the actuator l I.

In an actual application the device was found to operate as follows: Starting with the tem- .4 perature !or which the device was set, the stop iiheldtheactuator iiasainsbtherest isand the button ll, thus putting the heat producin equipment in operation. Upon reaching a temperature near the desired point the actuator I5 moved away from the rest I: and the button ll. thus putting the heat producing equipment out oi operation. Due to the "heat inertia of the system the temperature continued to rise and the actuator I! moved into contact with the rest I! causing it to release its grip on the rod 6. As the temperature continued to rise the rod 8 continued to travel. The stop it moved out of contact with the actuator it." After some time the temperature began to tail due to heat loss and the red I reversed its direction, engaged the actuator I! and moved it into contact with the button ll again starting the heat producing equipment. Shortly thereafter the temperature again began to rise moving the actuator 15 out of contact with the button II and stoppin the heat producing equipment. The rise again continued and the actuator it moved into contact with the rest II and the rod I continued its travel, independent ot the actuator l5. When the temperature again began to fail the actuator I5 was Dositioned at a new point on the rod 6. This action continued until the stop I2 moved into contact with the actuator 15. when this occurred rests II and II andthe stop i2 prevented further travel oi the rod I and the heat producing equipment was not turned on lmmediateb upon a drop in temperature but was kept ofl until the temperature tell to approximately the point at which the stop I! had engaged the actuator IS. The heat producing eq pment was then turned on but the i'all in temperature did not immediately cease and the stop l2 moved out or contact with the actuator is. As soon as the temperature began to rise, however, the actuator 15 gripped the rod I and moved out or contact with the button II, stopping the heat producing equipment. The temperature continued to rise and the stop l2 moved back into contact with the actuator I5 and the device continued repeating the last described cycle without variation.

It is apparent from this description that the performance or this device will vary somewhat with each system to which it is applied. It can be generally stated, however, that when properly applied and adjusted it will tend to restore and maintain a desired temperature with a minimum of hunting or cycling because of anticipat r! qualities not found in the conventional wpe of control.

Some of the shortcomings of the conventional methods or temperature control are described in section 176, on page 222 of the fourth edition oi. "Heating and Air Conditioning," by Allen and Walker, published by McGraw-Hill Book 00., Inc, and entitled Diiliculties in automatic control.

Inthearrangement showninl lgureztheaetuator II is in the form oi a generally U-shaped spring, having two periorations through which the bar II passes and arranged to bear against said bar atthe middle portion of the U. The

spring action 01' this portion iorces the bar 7 against the opposite sides or the two perforations and thus provides a clutching action similar to that described for the actuator II. In this case the button ll of the control device 35 and the stop II engage different legs 0! the U but their action again is to counteract the spring tension perature at the beuowslwellbelowthctcl uinsuchamannerastoreleasethegripoithe actuator on the bar 36. In, this case the adjustable stops 30 and 32 may be arranged to engage the guide brackets 29 and 33 instead of engagin the actuator in order to arrest the movement of the bar 36 at predetermined points. The action, however, is the same as described for Figure 1.

In the arrangement illustrated in Figure 3 the actuator 15 is carried by the bar 6 by a simple frictional contact. The actuator I5 is loosely fitted to the bar 6 with a leaf Spring 42 holding it in intimate frictional contact. The leaf spring 42 is adjusted so that actuator I5 is d-ependably able to operate the micro-switch 28 but its force should be no greater than necessary to perform this function. When the actuator is arrested by the micro-switch 2B or by the stop l8 the bar 6 is still relatively free to travel but upon reversal of its movement the actuator will be carried with It will be understood, of course, that the physical form of the device may vary in accordance with the requirements of different quantities to be controlled without departing from the spirit of the invention. The movable member 6 may be operated by variation in temperature, hydraulic or pneumatic pressures, liquid level, magnetic intensities or practically any quantity which may be arranged to produce movement in accordance with its variations. It will be understood also that while in the illustrated embodiment member 6 moves rectilinearly, it may be ar ranged to move in any other form of path with corresponding modifications in the other members to accommodate such movement. The control device 28 in other applications of the invention might be a. rheostat, valve, damper or other control means.

It is understood, therefore, that various modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention and that the claims are not limited to the specific construction shown and described.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A regulating device of the character described, comprising, a member movable in response to variations in the quantity to be regulated, control means for varying the quantity to be regulated, an element for operating said control means moved by said member by means of a slip friction connection, and means limiting the range of movement of said member.

2. A regulating device or the character described, comprising, a member movable in correspondence to variations in the quantity to be regulated, means for limiting the motion or said member without destroying such correspondence in its movement, control means for varying the quantity to be regulated, and means variably connectable with said member for actuation thereby to cause operation or said control means, said Number last named means operating automatically to cause such connection upon change in the direction of variation of the quantity to be controlled.

3. Regulating means of the character described, comprising, a member movable in accordance with variations in the quantity to be regulated, control means for varying the quantity to be regulated, means operable upon reversal of movement of said member to actuate said control means, and means to delay the operation of said actuating means for, a predetermined period after such reversal.

4. Regulating means of the character described, comprising, a member movable in accordance with variations in the quantity to be regulated, control means for varying the quantity to be regulated, means operable upon reversal of movement of said member to actuate said control means, and means adjustable to limit the movement of said member to a predetermined'range of the quantity to be regulated.

5. Regulating means of the character described, comprising, a member actuated to move in definite relation to variation in the quantity to be regulated, control means for varying the quantity to be regulated, means operable upon reversal of movement of said member to actuate said control means, and means for arresting the movement of said member at a predetermined position.

6. A regulating device of the character described, comprising, a member movable in correspondence to variations in the quantity to be regulated, control means for varying the quantity to be regulated, an actuator for said control means having a' slip-clutch normally biased to connect said actuator with said member, means for breaking the slip-clutch connection so made at a predetermined position and direction of movement of said member, and stop means adapted to arrest the movement of said member.

7. A regulating device or the character described, comprising, a member movable in response to variations in the quantity to be regulated; control means for varying the quantity to be regulated; an element for operating said control means upon reversals in the trend of the quantity to be regulated and means preventing operation of said control means when the value of the quantity to be regulated lies outside predetermined limits.

IRVIN E. WIEGERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 2,257,439 Wilson Sept. 80, 1941 

